Spurgeon: January AM
* 01/24/AM
"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler."
--Psalm 91:3
God delivers His people from the snare of the fowler in two
senses. From , and out of . First, He delivers them from the
snare--does not let them enter it; and secondly, if they should
be caught therein, He delivers them out of it. The first
promise is the most precious to some; the second is the best to
others.
"He shall deliver thee from the snare." How? Trouble is
often the means whereby God delivers us. God knows that our
backsliding will soon end in our destruction, and He in mercy
sends the rod. We say, "Lord, why is this?" not knowing that our
trouble has been the means of delivering us from far greater
evil. Many have been thus saved from ruin by their sorrows and
their crosses; these have frightened the birds from the net. At
other times, God keeps His people from the snare of the fowler
by giving them great spiritual strength, so that when they are
tempted to do evil they say, "How can I do this great
wickedness, and sin against God?" But what a blessed thing it is
that if the believer shall, in an evil hour, come into the net,
yet God will bring him out of it! O backslider, be cast down,
but do not despair. Wanderer though thou hast been, hear what
thy Redeemer saith--"Return, O backsliding children; I will have
mercy upon you." But you say you cannot return, for you are a
captive. Then listen to the promise--"Surely He shall deliver
thee out of the snare of the fowler." Thou shalt yet be brought
out of all evil into which thou hast fallen, and though thou
shalt never cease to repent of thy ways, yet He that hath loved
thee will not cast thee away; He will receive thee, and give
thee joy and gladness, that the bones which He has broken may
rejoice. No bird of paradise shall die in the fowler's net.